Avalanche warning issued for Flathead region
Flathead Avalanche Center photo
Avalanche experts are warning of precarious conditions across the Northwest Montana backcountry this weekend as a series of winter storms bear down on the region.
The Flathead Avalanche Center issue an avalanche warning Friday morning for the Swan and Flathead ranges, and the Lake McDonald and Marias Pass areas of Glacier National Park. The warning was in effect through Saturday.
New and drifted snow are overloading fragile, reactive weak layers, and it will be easy to trigger large, wide and deadly avalanches, the Avalanche Center warned. Natural avalanches may run long distances.
People are advised to stay out of avalanche terrain during this snow cycle.
Flathead Avalanche Center forecaster Clancy Nelson stated in the Friday advisory that the Center has received numerous reports of large slides over the last week.
“People have reported near misses, and at least one person was caught, carried and slightly injured,” Nelson wrote. “These slides have occurred nearly every day, not just during storms. They have been breaking very wide and running fast and far down slope. It's clear that weak layers that formed in late January have been at their tipping point for days.”
He said the situation is even more serious with new snow and winds from Thursday night’s storm.
“Avalanches that fail in the storm snow are likely to step down and trigger these deeper layers,” Nelson warned. “Avalanches that start up high have a lot of snow they can entrain as they run down the slope. The results can be deadly.”
Northwest Montana residents should prepare for a big change in the weather this weekend.
Arctic air was expected to slide over central Montana Friday night, according to the National Weather Service in Missoula. Some of the frigid air could make its way over the Continental Divide, especially around Glacier National Park and as far west as Kalispell by Saturday morning. Lows in the single digits and below zero are likely.
Widespread snow is also possible for the Flathead region.
Total snow accumulations of 6 to 8 inches is possible in the Flathead Valley, with 6 to 12 inches elsewhere. Up to 16 inches could accumulate in the mountains.